I am a huge admirer of David Hare’s work and like him made Bexhill in East Sussex my home for 30 years (My ideal theatre, 30 December). However, his view of this Sussex seaside town seems to once again distance theatre from many in the population and differs radically from the Malibu sun-soaked haven, as seen by Tom Dyckhoff in “Let’s move to...” (23 December). Maybe Hare’s down-at-heel view might have been changed if he’d supported local theatre groups in the town such as Bats (Bexhill Amateur Theatrical Society), which, until its recent demise, had for 70-plus years brought forward young actors and new directors, staged successes at the iconic De La Warr Pavilion (until high costs prevented them) and performed brilliant annual open-air Shakespeare productions (visited and supported by the late Sam Wanamaker). Despite access to many through National Theatre Live performances at local venues, the experience of live theatre with brilliant directors, writers and actors remains a London-centric elitist leisure pursuit. Costs of tickets, train fares etc are pricing out the audiences of the future and yet if there is a local stage – even in a rundown town or village – shouldn’t it be those with clout within the theatre world who should be ensuring plays are being performed there and not in the usual venues in London? And not dreaming of an ideal venue which doesn’t exist?
Philipa Coughlan
Beeston, Nottinghamshire
• It was good to read David Hare’s appreciation of the cultural importance of the bistro under the old Liverpool Everyman Theatre. I was surprised, though, that he failed to mention, in his section about actors continuing in one theatre, the very successful Everyman Company experiment, now in its second season. Hare’s demand for touring theatre (in both directions) should hit a nerve. I remember the question asked many years ago: “Did someone say, ‘Let’s have a National Theatre. Where shall we put it?’ Or did they say, ‘What London needs is another theatre. What shall we call it?’”
Andy Billinge
Liverpool
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